Can a axe be used safely

[eagle54 10]

As a scout leader there is a obligation to teach the safe use of axes and bow saws.

Some leaders blieve that a bow saw is adequate for cutting wood.

What do you think about this.

P.S. I was taught before you use any axe to us to check to see no one was within a the length of the axe in a 360 degree radius from you.

An axe yard is the best place to use tools for wood cutting.

 

[Fuzzy Bear 12]

An ax is one of the best wood tools that a person could possibly have if that person were to be stranded in the woods with only one tool.

 

There are several qualifiers. The first one is the person needs to have extensive experience in using it properly and safely. The person needs to know how to keep it razor sharp and how to store it properly. It is best if the person is using the ax on a regular basis, so that they are expertly familiar with all aspects of it.

 

An inexperienced person can get the wrong idea about the ax. They generally do not know how to sharpen it or take the time to keep it sharp. Having the time to learn the skills and the patience that it takes to keep an ax sharp are two characteristics that a person should have or be willing to do when learning about the use of the ax.

 

Learning to use the ax properly and safely is never a quick learning process. The person needs supervision and on-going training to learn the skills to be able to achieve the goal of cutting firewood. Vigilance should be the by-word when letting any inexperienced person take an ax to go cut wood. Beginners are often careless and are unable to keep either the goal in mind or hit the mark when given the duty.

 

The person that is using the ax should have a good pair of steel toe boots, a hard hat, safety goggles, and leather gloves. These are the basic considerations for deciding if you should allow a Scout to learn to use and care for an ax.

 

Compare this to teaching a Scout how to use safely and properly the bow saw.

 

OR

 

Compare it to using a good pair of leather gloves to gather fallen wood and breaking it in host of simple ways.

 

This is information that I have learned from on the job experience over a number of years working with Scouts and adults. It is based on one man's limited knowledge only.

 

Given for your consideration, respectfully,

 

FB

 

[Fat Old Guy 11]

Sure an ax can be used safely. I've done it, others have done it. Over the years, many kids have done it.

 

Unfortunately, our society does very little to teach our children that some things are more dangerous than other and that care needs to be taken with them. The messages are "Axes are dangerous, don't use them," "Knives are dangerous, don't use them," "Guns are dangerous, don't use them," "Power tools are dangerous, don't use them." Oddly, our society encourages teens to drive (very dangerous) and does little to discourage them from having sex (also very dangerous).

 

 

[Sturgen 10]

Axes have been the tool of choice for outdoorsmen since the stone age. Axes are a tried and true tool to be used in the woods for all of history, and until recently (historically speaking) they were a major tool in construction of almost every building. Far more efficient and effective than any bow saw, and as one of the wisest man I ever met said: Using an axe warms you twice, once when you chop the wood and again when you burn the wood. I will always carry a axe, hatchet, tomahawk or kukri on every trip, although I have taken a fondness to the kukri and bowie knives as of late.

[Proud Eagle 13]

Are double headed axes allowed in BSA? I know someone once told me they are not. I have never seen one at a Scout camp or in a troop set of wood tools. However, that is far from proving the point.

 

When you check the clearence around your work site (often called checking your blood range, though having a tree in the way can be just as bad as a person) you must check both the vertical and horizontal clearence for axe work.

 

Since we are on the subject of axes, let me pose a question related to them. I was at a council camporee about a year and a half ago and there was an adult with a cub pack using an axe. The problems were:

1. It was to dark to see, so he was working by flashlight

2. There was no axe yard or safety barrier

3. There was no one standing by to watch him or keep people away

4. He was using a double headed axe in a way you would certainly never see in a BSA book

5. The various cubs were running around playing tag in the same general area

 

What would the proper response have been, on the part of a registered volunteer leader in the BSA?

[eagle54 10]

The situation is a example that a training chairman could use for the need of toten chips for certain leaders.

If this adult was a scout in my troop I would have taken his toten chip away

for sure.

The double axe is definitely an axe to be used only by well qualified axeman.

My suggestion is that the situation is out of control and needs immediate action thru those in charge - ie if the cub scouts are camping with a trooop, Talk to the troop leader and suggest that kids meed better supervision

 

 

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

Can an axe be used safely? I think an axe can be used as safely as a propane stove or lantern. An axe is no more dangerous than the evening's campfire or OA Council fire. Use of an axe demands no more, or less vigilance than any waterfront activity.

 

Certainly an Axe is no more dangerous than an Archery or rifle range. Risks are reduced through proper precautions and trainhing, I see no need to eliminate any of the above mentioned items.

[Bob White 20]

Consider this, an axe and a saw are two different tools best used for two different purposes. If your task is to shorten a length of timber with a hand-tool, the saw is the better choice. It is more effort efficient, more accurate and leaves more usable material.

 

If you are splitting a length of wood (to get to dry heartwood when your firewood is wet) then the ax is the better tool to choose. An axe can be just as safe as any tool, if used for the right job, and cared for properly.

[nivipi 10]

Eagle54

 

As Bob said, Axes and Saws are tools that have they own uses.

 

Personally speaking, we don't use bow saws because we have realised we really don't need them, we prefer to use hand saws like the ones used to cut pumpkins, those are more portable and we feel more comfortable with them. Regarding personal protection equipment we use only gloves, those cheap white ones, to avoid blistering, more than equipment is important a safe actitude towards your work, concentration, looking around, etc.

 

Regarding axes, again the most important is a safe actitude, being aware of the power of the tool. There are two kinds of axe, hand axe and a lumberjack or "big" axe, both used in diferent situations.

One note about lumberjack axes, even while the cutting is not done through the user strength but by the weight of the axe head it does requiere a minimun of strength , otherwise is quite dangerous because you cannot control de downfall, that's why I shouldn't recommend someone to young using them, maybe a strong 13yo and up, also using a lumberjacks axe when tired is a no no. Again the only protections we use are wool work gloves to avoid blistering.

As a final note technic is very important to avoid injuries of your lower back.

 

Hope it helps

 

[EagleInKY 14]

Certainly, an axe can be used safely. But we always need to remind the boys how dangerous they are. My very first Boy Scout camporee - I was a Webelos camping on my first overnighter - a scout in the next campout drove an axe through his tennis shoe, straight through the top of his foot. We all learned a lesson, respect the tools that you have to work with.

 

I taught Toten Chip to my first year scouts last summer. One particulary clumsy young man walked into the axe yard. I was worried about his ability more than any other. Then, to my amazement, this small lad began chopping wood like a little Paul Bunyan. He had never lifted an axe before, but he was a natural. He had rythym and a great technique. And he never made a safety mistake. I use him as my trainer now.

 

As for on regular campouts, we discourage the use of the axe unless necessary. It's just a safety thing. When they do use their axes, we have one boy supervise while another is in the axe yard. We use 3/4 axes, so they're not to heavy for the young ones.

[ozemu 10]

Yes - they are safe.

 

In true BW style though I must say that training is key. That has been pointed out.

 

Also as EagleinKY wrote the axe (correct spelling) must fit the user.

 

For this reason I carry several sized axes and am working on an oversized hatchet with an axe handle as a training implement - not for real cutting use.

 

Also the worst camp cut Ive seen was caused by a saw left leaning against a guy rope that a Scout tripped on. Over 70 stitches in his fore-arm. Three full length cuts. Ugly. Happened in another Troop when I was a boy.

 

Having said this the first implement we teach is the saw. That can be done of a meeting night. The axe needs an unspecified time in camp. The learner may need to rest between sessions too.

[Proud Eagle 13]

We seem to have all overlooked the fact that safety glasses are usually a good idea for axe or hatchet work. While it may be over-kill to use them for splitting wood, it is quite important for chopping.

[Sturgen 10]

Perhaps we should carry leather chaps, safety glasses, hard hats, and those wooden boots logger competitors wear.

[fotoscout 15]

I must admit to having some fear when it comes to using an axe. To safely use an axe the person must possess hand strength, coordination, and most importantly, focus. Many of the boys never muster all three at the same time. I dont look forward to that day!

[Eagledad 2779]

Hi All

 

Isn't interesting that we don't think twice about driving a 5000 lb car loaded with family down a crowded highway at 70mph, but a dinky little piece of metal keeps us away at night. What is the difference?

 

A camp nurse taught us a few years back that far more injuries come from the saw than the axe or hatchet. In fact he couldn't remember any axe injuries, but had a long list of saw injuries. Problem with the saw is that any flex in the blade can make it jump off it's line. Flex is caused when we use it to fast or put to much force on the blade while cutting. When this happens, the saw jumps and many time hits the other hand leaving a very nasty injury. Even the small folding handsaw that has become so popular in scouting needs extra caution because it's short blade length tends to encourage its operators use it to fast.

 

It's a little ironic that most people give the axe or hatchet a lot of respect because of the injuries that appear obvious if use incorrectly, but don't think twice about a tool that has teeth that can mangle hand tissue pretty quick.

 

Fear comes from the ignorance of any tool. Training and practice is the only way to change fear into respect. I teach the adults in our IOLS class that if they have a fear of any tool they used in the troop, then they should practice using it until they develop confidence. Some adults suggest not even taking an axe with them on troop campouts. But I've seen more than once a scout who transfered to a new troop race to try out a tool he didn't have in the other troop. One Totin Chit works for all woods tools in the scout handbook.

 

Barry